Talking about talks

‘Composite’ turns to ‘compost’
Khaled Ahmed

In Pakistan, there are forebodings of another bout of India-centric events across the border. The political parties are adjusting to yet another ‘national consensus’

Domestic disturbances
Shaukat Piracha

The Delhi talks were seen by most observers as a start. Whether or not the two governments will build on it remains to be seen

Back and forth
Iftikhar Gilani

Often stumped by India on third party mediation, Pakistan has now taken the strategic decision of making Kashmiri leaders (read the All Parties Hurriyat Conference) as the third party

“We realise that the Indian side is doing this because of internal compulsions”

– Salman Bashir, Foreign Secretary of Pakistan

by Shaukat Piracha

Features

Motherhood’s a drag
In the fifth part of this series, Fawzia Afzal-Khan recounts her impressions of men, bulls and martyrdom

Out of Africa
In the last part of this series, Sohail Ittehad recollects his memories of the southern Sahara

Poetry and piety
Rakhshanda Jalil traces the history of verse written in honour of the birth of the Beloved of God

Features

Vows of silence we had to break
ASR Institute must be saved at all costs,
says Raza Rumi

Oscars wild
Zia Ahmad

recounts the history of the most celebrated film award

Future podcasting
Faisal Kapadia is the ultimate techie

Bhai Ram Singh of the soaring imagination
Salma Mahmud

evaluates the work of a 19th century Punjabi architect who designed many landmarks in the province and endowed them with an élan unrivalled in the subcontinent

Bankrupt beliefs
Dr Ali Hashmi has excerpted and translated Hasan Jaafar Zaidi’s views on certain myths

One shared history
Ammar Ali Qureshi

reviews a photography exhibition of artists from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh at London's Whitechapel Art Gallery

Myopic ban destroys a village
In a community once renowned for joie de vivre, fun and games are not on, but hate filled jihadist sermons are fine, says Arsalan Raja